


That's Lovely

by WickedSong



Series: butterfly effect & other tales (hacyweek prompts) [5]
Category: Charmed (TV 2018)
Genre: F/M, Light Angst, hacyweek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:26:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25206190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WickedSong/pseuds/WickedSong
Summary: [Part 2 of Hacy Week Day 7: Free Choice]In which Mel gives reassurance to a worried Harry.
Relationships: Harry Greenwood & Mel Vera, Harry Greenwood/Macy Vaughn, Macy Vaughn & Maggie Vera & Mel Vera
Series: butterfly effect & other tales (hacyweek prompts) [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1819129
Comments: 7
Kudos: 17





	That's Lovely

Mel struggled to gain her footing, as she and Harry appeared on the mountainside. This was the best guess they’d had, in regards to whatever demon they were hunting. It was here that connected all the people who had recently gone missing.

Stretching her arms out, Mel managed to catch herself, before she fell.

Harry nodded to her, to make sure she was okay. She replied back, with a wordless nod of her own, and he turned to start walking.

Clearly he was lost in his own world, and Mel couldn’t blame him. Here they were, on the trail of what could be a particularly dangerous demon – if the number of disappearances were anything to go by – and she was stuck in her own unrelated thoughts, too.

Namely, the news Macy had sprung on the pair just before they’d orbed.

* * *

“What are you two whispering about?” Mel asked, wrapping her scarf around her neck as she entered the living room, to find the previously-hushed tones of her sisters come to an abrupt halt.

Maggie gave a sheepish grin, while Macy forced a tight-lipped smile.

So they were definitely hiding _something_. What it was about, Mel had no idea The two had been fine when she and Harry had left them this morning.

Mel folded her arms, and raised her eyebrows.

“No more secrets, remember?”

“There isn’t a secret,” Maggie said. But she said it far too quickly, and with a half-hearted laugh,

Mel couldn’t help but be transported back to a time, when Maggie was in high school, swearing she was going upstairs to study, only to be found hours later trying to sneak back into the house, way past curfew.

For this reason, Mel narrowed her eyes at her younger sister. Macy was a terrible liar, but had been silent thus far, making Maggie the weakest link between the two of them, in this situation.

But Maggie seemed to have suddenly adopted Macy’s approach to the topic, shrugging quickly, and remaining silent. Mel remained firm, arms folded and eyes intent on both, sure that she would get somewhere.

After a few seconds, it looked like Maggie was about to cave, until-

“Mel, are you ready to-“

The stalemate was broken, by Harry entering the room; his coat in hand. He seemed oblivious to the tension in the air, until he’d shrugged his coat on, and realised the room was silent.

“What’s happened?” he asked, confused.

“These two,” Mel started, with a look to Maggie, and then Macy – who both seemed to clam up even more at his appearance in the room, “were having a secret conversation and I want to know _why_.”

“Maggie told you, Mel,” Macy replied, unconvincingly. “It’s nothing.”

Mel wanted to say something to that, especially because Macy was such a terrible liar. But Harry got there first, sitting on the edge of the living room sofa, beside his wife, and placing a hand on her shoulder.

“You’re sure?” he asked, concern written over his face.

Macy nodded weakly. Maggie looked as though she was biting her tongue, and the urge to smile.

Though Mel thought it only made Maggie look more suspicious, Harry clearly hadn’t noticed. Instead he smiled down at Macy, and for a moment it made her look even a little less worried, as he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

“If you’re sure,” he said, softly, going to stand. “Mel and I are going to retrace the steps of the people who’ve went missing. It seems like the best way to figure out what’s going on with this demon, whatever it might be.”

While Harry had his back turned to Macy and Maggie, Mel caught the subtle look shared between the two. Maggie had wide eyes, and nudged Macy, nodding to Harry.

Mel looked to her brother-in-law and faked a smile when he turned back, and offered her his arm, Still, she kept a keen eye on the wordless conversation in front of her.

“We’ll be back as soon as we can,” Mel said, as a warning.

Maggie looked relieved that the topic looked to be dropped for the moment. Macy, on the other hand, looked just about ready to burst.

She stood quickly.

“Wait, Harry,” she said, catching her husband’s complete attention. “Just before you go, I have to tell you one small thing.”

“Mace, are you sure you want to-“

But Mel could see Macy completely ignoring the tone in Maggie’s voice that said ‘ _this might not_ actually _be a good idea right now._ ’ Macy shut her eyes tight, then opened them, her fists clenched at her side; she was obviously steeling herself for _something_.

“I-I think I might be pregnant.”

Mel felt her eyes widen – she hadn’t expected that, at all. By the way Harry’s grip on her arm tightened, she suspected he hadn’t either.

“T-That’s lovely.”

And _then_ they orbed.

* * *

Mel almost snorted as she recalled Harry’s reaction. Clearly, he was thinking about it, too, as well as the announcement that had prompted it. It wasn’t a _bad_ surprise, Mel thought – having a kid around the house might actually be fun, or at least as fun as it could be given their demon-fighting lifestyle.

But the house was under enough protection – they’d learned a lot in the aftermath of the darklighter, and the Faction – that the instances of demons being able to turn up unannounced were few and far-in-between.

Mel wondered, then, what had Harry so quiet, if it wasn’t just the initial shock of the announcement.

They ambled, in awkward silence, until Mel decided she couldn’t take it anymore.

“That’s _lovely_?” she said, finally. “I’m pretty sure when your wife tells you she’s pregnant you _should_ say something other than ‘that’s lovely’. And you know, maybe _not_ orb out.”

“Melanie.”

It was a warning, but she recognised it as more brother-in-law to sister-in-law, than whitelighter to witch, so Mel grasped his arm and pulled him to a stop beside her.

She wanted to make sure he wasn’t getting too much into his own head. It wouldn’t do them any use against whatever they might come up against, if he was distracted. And if he was distracted, Mel would be too; worrying that he would get himself hurt.

There were things she didn’t like _having_ to tell Macy, and in her experience, informing her Harry was hurt or in trouble was one of those things. She found it best to simply try and avoid those situations, where possible.

“Mel, we really should-“ 

“Talk about the fact you might be a father soon? Yes, we should.”

He sighed.

“Neither of us are taking one more step until we have this chat, are we?”

Mel shook her head, and smiled.

“You know me too well to even ask, Har,” she answered. “So, spill. What’s going on with you? You’re great with kids, and you two _did_ say you wanted them, so what gives?”

Harry didn’t reply straight away. Instead, he looked around, and sat down on the nearest tree stump. Mel followed, crouching beside him, and waiting for him to speak.

“I’ve been a husband before, Mel, and a father. I wasn’t particularly good at either of those things. A liar, a cheat. _A whole other family_ , remember?”

 _Of course_ , Mel thought. She felt insensitive for not thinking about it before. After all, she was the one who ended up in Manchester with Harry when his loyalties had been divided between she and her sisters, and the son he’d discovered was still alive.

It had been a few years since then, but it felt a lifetime ago. So much had happened, and changed, since then.

Mel also recalled being the one to comfort him when he’d broke down on their front porch, after that last look glanced at his son.

She’d been there for him then, and she would be here now.

“Yeah, but you’re a different person now, Harry,” she said, gently. You share certain qualities – remember, you _saved_ your son – but _you’ve_ proven, time and time again, that you’re not going to make the same mistakes he did. You made your peace with that. Because he was James, and you’re…well, _you_.”

“You really think so?” he asked, tentatively, looking up at her, as he absent-mindedly fiddled with the wedding band around his finger.

“I _know_ ,” Mel replied. “So does Maggie, and so does Macy.”

That seemed to be enough of a reassurance, at least for now. At the very least, it made him look less worried. Maybe he just had to voice his worries, out loud, and Mel was glad he had.

“ _Macy_ ,” he said, with a sigh. Clearly, he was reliving the way he’d abruptly left when she’d told him she might be pregnant. “She’s going to be-“

“Pissed?” Mel supplied, and Harry nodded. “Honestly, I would be too if I was her. I mean, you orbed out of there so quickly, I didn’t know where we were going to end up.”

Harry closed his eyes and buried his head in his hands.

“I was already concentrating on this place, and I just-I panicked,” he said, muffled behind his hands.

“Obviously.”

Harry lifted his head, looking at Mel, with a wry look on his face.

“But Macy _will_ understand,” Mel added, quickly. “Remember, she tends to overthink things too. You guys really are perfect for one another.”

Harry smiled at that, and then sighed. Finally, he stood up from the tree stump, offering a hand to help Mel up.

Once they were both on their feet, they looked back in the direction they came, and towards their destination. It was fortunate that they’d left when they had; the sun was shining high.

They still had plenty of time.

“You ready?” Mel asked, with a smile.

“For the demon or fatherhood?”

Mel shrugged. “Both?”

“Both,” Harry agreed.

Mel liked his answer, and let him know so with a bright grin.

She knew, without a doubt, he, Macy and her soon-to-be niece (or nephew, she supposed) – were going to be just fine.

**Author's Note:**

> -I debated whether or not to slip in a mention to the reveal that James had a whole other family (by reveal I mean the show said it in one line, episodes ago, and haven't revisited it yet), but felt like I kind of had to. But I didn't want to get too deep with it, so.
> 
> -This whole three-parter stems from the middle scene. Idk why I had this image in my head, but I just did, and I knew I had to write it. The heart-to-heart with Mel and Harry came later, and fleshed the whole thing out a lot more.


End file.
